Mega Man 11 review: Gearshift

Over the decades of numbered versions without synchronization, Capcom has generally been reluctant to tinker Mega Man formula. Since the introduction of the slip back Mega Man 3 and shots in Mega Man 4, the series has contented itself with new levels, new heads, and only small edgings on the edges with regards to the game and visual style. Even the last decades Mega Man 9 and ten reboots cut into the nostalgic style of NES, almost at fault.

With Mega Man 11Capcom seems to be less afraid of playing with the formula. The basic run-and-jump-and-shoot gameplay is still there, but the new Gear system brings important changes to the way the game is played, and the new 3D graphics fundamentally change the look of this game

SLOW DOWN

Let's talk about the Gear system first. By simply pressing a shoulder button, Mega Man can now benefit from a limited momentum that allows him to boost his standard weapon or slow down the world around him. At low health, Mega Man can activate both speeds at once for one last desperate salvo.

The Power Gear that boosts weapons is not exciting, it's a slightly clumsy version of the Charge Shot in most situations. Although this material adds an interesting power, often enemy, to Mega Man's special weapons, I did not use it much in my game.

The Speed ​​Gear, however, has a profound effect on how the game plays in many situations. The ability to slow down the world around Mega Man virtually at will facilitates a lot of challenges based on the reflexes of the game. This is especially true around mid-way, when Mega Man can gain the ability to move at a speed normal while everything around him is slowed down. This is a ridiculous superpower that recalls those Quicksilver scenes in the X Men movies, and many difficult situations in the game feel almost trivial.

The game design also seems to take this into account. Although each enemy attack can technically be avoided at a steady speed, many patterns and hazards of the scene seem to push back the limits of human reaction time. With Speed ​​Gear, however, all these challenges are much more manageable, as long as you remember to handle this limited and constantly recharging power meter.

Like someone with about two more decades of deteriorating reflexes since he first played Mega Man game, I can not say that it's an undesirable change. The tactical slowdown is another important addition to Mega Man's trickset, and I hope it will remain for future sequels.

Less flat than ever

After whitewashing a little the look of a demo of E3, I thought I would eventually get used to the new 3D look of Mega Man and his antagonists in this game After spending hours in this new visual style, I can say that it has never really been for me.

Everything happens as if it was a bit too smooth in this new world modeled in 3D, from familiar animation to four images of Mega Man to bosses who now telegraph their attacks with grandiose gestures. The added sense of depth gives a look too rounded and brilliant to everything, as it came from the demonstration tutorial of a 3D game engine.

I am willing to admit that much of this reaction is probably the result of a deep and latent nostalgia – a lizard-brain rebellion against the change of 2D Mega Man aesthetics in 2D , based on sprites. But I do not think that's all. Games like Mega Man 7 and 8 and the Mega Man X The series have reworked the look of Mega Man, but these titles have always felt properly anchored in the above. Even extremely 3D characters "chibi" in PSP Mega Man: Powered Up restart felt more authentic than what is in Mega Man 11.

I just can not overcome the feeling that Mega Man 11 looks and feels too much like a unit based Mega Man fan project in many ways. The changed aesthetics does not spoil the game all by itself, but I can not say that it will not distract you either. Of course, your mileage may vary. If the screenshots and video of this room are right for you, feel free to skip this section.

More things are changing …

Aside from these major changes, Mega Man 11 is a pretty formula Mega Man game for good and for bad. You keep running and jumping and blazing through enemies that are typically scourers to a themed boss that offers you a new, extremely useful weapon against another specific theme boss.

The bosses themselves are a little risky. Some feel remarkably easy to dodge and defeat, even if you do not have the "right" weapon to eliminate them in a few moves. Others feel almost unfair in their hard-to-read models and their screen attacks. I needed to burn several energy tanks to eliminate them even after a lot of practice.

The weapons granted by the bosses are however more universally well designed. Almost everyone gives Mega Man an additional directional option beyond the usual mega buster's horizontal shooting, allowing it to hit enemies above, below or diagonally.

Unlike previous Mega Man games, where I usually kept all my special weapons for vulnerable bosses, I made generous use of weapon options in this game to eliminate enemies in a way that would not be possible with a standard shot. I especially liked Block Man's weapon, which allows to dump damaging blocks on the ceiling and throw rubber bullets around the room.

As for the levels themselves, some parts of this Mega Man the formula feels a little dated after so many decades. There are still many challenges where going too slowly or making a misstep results in instant death of spikes, bites or even flame walls. This adds extra tension to the key parts of the game, but also increases the discomfort of having to go back from infrequent control points. In addition, if you lose all your lives, you must restart the entire scene.

This old-school system has a reputation of yesteryear in a world where even ultra-hard platforms tend to give the player unlimited chances and a virtually instant reboot after each challenge. In Mega Man 11, you should instead save and buy your way to the extra lives and energy tanks that allow you to brutally force your way through the most difficult obstacles, if you need them.

This weird design is exacerbated in MM11 by the fact that the levels feel a little longer than the usual length Mega Man veterans could wait. At the level point where you usually expect a boss's door to appear, you more often hit a second control point that bodes another third of the remaining level, requiring extra stamina. The levels themselves do not carry their home, however, with clever designs that use the platform and the placement of the enemy wisely, without ever feeling repetitive or tiring.

While Mega Man 11 do not completely eradicate the tried-and-true Mega Man formula, he's not afraid to make big and small changes to the way a major franchise game looks, feels and plays. All these changes are not for the best, but enough is worth it that breaking with the shape is worth it. Hoping for more regular versions that blend the nostalgia of the old school with more modern experiences of Mega Manthe creators.

Good

• The new Speed ​​Gear in slow motion is a welcome new superpower.
• Inventive stagings that do not work well.
• Great choice of useful weapons even outside boss fights.

The bad

• New 3D character models do not feel authentic.
• The design of checkpoints and limited lives of the old school is definitely obsolete.
• Boss design

The ugly one

• Lose this last life on a boss because you forgot to use an energy tank on time.

The verdict: Try it if you are looking for a novel on a proven 2D gaming formula.